The Longest Fall
by tfn-fanficfan
Summary: A brief look at why the most evil and feared man in the galaxy, wasn't.


_" The avalanche has begun; it is too late for the pebbles to vote"_

It was an entirely unappreciative galaxy. He had dedicated his entire life to making the galaxy strong enough to survive the coming decades and he had succeeding beyond even his own wildest imaginings. He had succeeded because, in the end, that was the only acceptable outcome.  
And now it has come to this, he was called on to make another sacrifice for a galaxy of beings that hated and feared him. For they had no idea the terrible burden he carried to ensure that when the time came they would be able to withstand the onslaught. They would never realise how much he had done for them. Never realise how much he cared.

He had been a Jedi once, many years ago, apprenticed to a great Jedi Master. He'd been a padawan for less than a year when the visions started, horrifying visions of war, death and an evil despot cackling his pleasure. He would awaken, drenched in cold sweat and shaking with terror. For months he tried to hide it, to forget it. But the visions were persistent, every night they would return and visit new horrors on the young padawan. His master knew, of course, but the master waited for his student to confide in him, patiently steering his lessons towards knowing your limits and when to ask for help.  
The tactic failed. His student never did confide in the venerable Jedi. The Padawan awoke one night without the trembling fear, without the chill in his bones, because he had [i]_seen_[/i] with perfect clarity.  
It is a dreadful thing for a twelve year old boy to foresee his own death. But 'tis far more dreadful that he should understand, and accept, as this boy did, the awful fate that the Force asked of him. The greatest sacrifice a person can give, and he gave it willingly, without hesitation. The Force did not demand "Right" or "Wrong" from him, the Force demanded its very survival. And to fulfil that demand, the second-to-last student of Yoda walked away from the Jedi.

_It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But a far more terrible thing is to admit it."_

The twisted, "evil" old man that the young padawan had become chuckled as he remembered the old saying. The fall was indeed very quiet, peaceful even. Only the faint background hum of machinery doing its work and the soft roar of the wind in his ears disturbed the silence as Cos Palpatine hurtled down the reactor shaft. He found it somewhat ironic that arguably the most powerful and feared Dark Lord of the Sith, was finding peace in his imminent death. Admittedly at his current rate he still had over ninety minutes of freefall before the radiation from the reactor actually killed him, but when you're tumbling at over two hundred kilometres per hour there's not a lot even a Sith can do to stop. Besides, if all proceeded according to his plan there should be only minutes remaining before the Rebellion destroyed the Death Star. Without the power, the will or the need to delay death any longer, the single most evil man in the galaxy reminisced.

"Insolent Jedi WHELP!" The voice roared from the darkness, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand."  
The seventeen year old Cos had learned many things in the four years since he left the Jedi. Not enough to defeat a Sith Lord of course, but enough to delay death at the hands of one. For a time. With an effort he broke Plagueis' Force-grip on his throat, "because there must be two," he gasped. "Because when you have made me into a Sith, I will destroy you and take an apprentice of my own. Just as you have done."  
At first Palpatine thought the Sith Lord was coughing, but the deep, choked spluttering soon became hysterical laughter then, quicker than a sabaac card switching values, lightning poured out of Plagueis' hands and into the hapless teens body. Agony the likes of which Cos had never known tore through his nervous system and a desperate scream ripped itself from his throat. But the Sith Lord continued his assault, eliciting scream after painful scream from Cos until his throat was raw and he could scream no more. Finally, Cos found himself curled on the floor as the last of the Force Lightning jolted through his system.  
"And now you begin to understand," he heard Plagueis whisper in his ear. "That the day you kill me and take the mantle of Sith Lord will be a sad day for the Sith indeed."

_"Imagine awakening and hearing the heartbeat of the galaxy for the first time."_

He had finally stabilised his fall, no longer tumbling uncontrollably but lying on his back as the wind whipped his robes around him. Oriented as he was, Palpatine couldn't see the miniscule bright point that was the reactor core exploding. It wasn't until he was buffeted by the initial pressure wave that he realised the Alliance had succeeded. Everything had proceeded exactly as he'd foreseen.

"And you, young Skywalker; we shall watch your career with great interest." Palpatine had smiled at the boy has he clapped a hand on newly initiated Jedi's shoulder, an exceedingly rare genuine smile, but in the second it took him to lift his hand again the smile had frozen place. Saying that the boy was powerful was like saying that Mon Calamari was wet. More than that though, he could feel the way the force flowed around Anakin and already, even untrained, he wore it's power like clothing. Like armour.  
Every future he had foreseen required the end of the Jedi for the Force to survive. But this Jedi, this fountain of Force power, he would survive. Because as long as Anakin Skywalker and his descendants lived the Force would never die.

_"It was necessary... some things may only be learned from sacrifice."_

Palpatine could feel the heat building as gravity pulled him inexorably towards the rising inferno and knew that he had only moments remaining in this existence. It was exactly as he had foreseen it all those many years ago. Now was the time for Cos Palpatine, the most hated and feared man of his time, possible of any time, to make his second great sacrifice for the good of the galaxy.  
As a seventeen year old he had sacrificed his innocence and dedicated himself to the Dark Side so that he could make the galaxy strong. And now, on the eve of his eighty-sixth lifeday, he was going to sacrifice his life.  
Palpatine closed his eyes as he felt his robes ignite in the incredible heat and in moments he was engulfed in fire. He waited until he could feel his flesh begin to disintegrate. Then he let go of his fading grip on life and the titanic energies ripped his body apart in a flash of orange flame.

_"The true war is not against the Republic. It waits for us beyond the Outer Rim. And he has gone to fight it, in his own way._

His new eyes opened, struggling to focus in the hazy light filtering through the liquid contents of the tank. As the thick liquid began to drain away, his new eyes turned to examine his new body. A powerful, young body designed for just this purpose. The tank finally finished draining and slowly hissed open, allowing Palpatine to step forth and don his waiting robe. He had just finished when a door slid open and his Grand Inquisitor joined him.  
"My Lord, what are your orders?"  
"Gather the Inquisitorius, there is much work to be done."


End file.
